Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest as of Armenia-related news as of 24.09.2019:

·       Hayk Harutyunyan, the former Chief of Police of Armenia, was found dead with a gunshot wound in his house.

According to preliminary information, on Monday, at 11:59 pm, a call was received informing that there was a dead body in a house in Bjni village, in Kotayk Province.

An investigation team was dispatched to the scene where Harutyunyan’s dead body was found with a gunshot wound to his head.

Bloodstains were found at the scene, as well as a firearm and a shell—next to the body.

Also, information was obtained that Harutyunyan had used a considerable amount of alcohol in the period preceding this incident.

·       The Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, Zohrab Mnatsakanyan and Elmar Mammadyarov, on Monday met in New York, with participation of OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs Igor Popov (Russia), Stéphane Visconti (France) and Andrew Schofer (US), as well as Andrzej Kasprzyk, Personal Representative of the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office (CiO).

The sides discussed the Nagorno-Karabakh peace process and assessed the current situation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia informed Armenian News-NEWS. The Armenian FM lauded the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the OSCE CiO.

With regard to the Armenian citizens who are in custody in Azerbaijan, the Armenian side emphasized the need for ensuring their return.

·       At the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships held in Thailand on September 23, two representatives of the Armenian national team were present.

In the 89 kg weight category, Hakob Mkrtchyan became the world champion, gaining 375 kg in the combined series.

·       Sid Haig, a Hollywood character actor who for more than 50 years played thugs, villains and, most famously, a psychotic clown named Captain Spaulding, died on September 21. He was 80, The New York Times reported.

His wife, Susan L. Oberg, announced his death on the actor’s Instagram account on Monday, writing, “He adored his family, his friends, and his fans. This came as a shock to all of us.”

·       Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) have visited those persons who have been arrested as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Zara Amatuni, Communications and Prevention Manager at the ICRC Yerevan Office, told about this to Armenian News-NEWS.am.

“In September, the ICRC representatives have visited all persons who have been arrested in connection with the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict,” Amatuni said.

According to official data, three Armenians—Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) citizen Arsen Baghdasaryan as well as Armenia nationals Karen Ghazaryan and Arayik Ghazaryan—are currently in Azerbaijan.

·       The court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan, chaired by Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan, rejected the request of the lawyer of the former MP Manvel Grigoryan Levon Baghdasaryan to release him on bail. 

The court found the application unfounded. Manvel Grigoryan is accused of illegal possession of weapons and ammunition, embezzlement and misappropriation of other people's property on an especially large scale.

·       Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a working visit to the US.

In the Silicon Valley, the Armenian Prime Minister visited the Synopsys headquarters, where he was greeted by the company's president Chi-Foon Chan.

Chi-Foon Chan welcomed Nikol Pashinyan's visit to Synopsys, noting that they attach importance to cooperation with Armenia and its continued development. He presented the company's directions and plans, noting that Synopsys has 120 offices around the world and has a total staff of about 13,000. 

PM Pashinyan thanked for the reception and said that for Armenia Synopsys is a valuable partner. 

The PM also gave an interview to FOX LA’s Araksya Karapetyan.

According to him, the Armenian side is ready for dialogue for the peaceful resolution of the Karabakh conflict.

“My message is that every solution should be acceptable for the people of Armenia, the people of Karabakh and Azerbaijan. I am the first Armenian leader, who says that solution should be acceptable for Azerbaijani people as well, and I was criticized for this in Armenia. Now I am waiting for Azerbaijani president to say and to adopt the same formula that every solution should be acceptable for people of Azerbaijan, Armenia and Karabakh,” Pashinyan said.

The PM also noted that it is not a surprise that we have a huge resistance on behalf of our former elite to stop Armenian government’s efforts in fighting corruption.

“But we would not stop, there is no doubt,” he said.